Glass grinding machine



P. J. PII-GER GLASS GRINDING MACHINE Oct. 4, 1955 mm m,

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTUR. PAUL J. PILGER,

#Trank/Ef Oct. 4, 1955 P. J. PM GER GLASS GRINDING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1952 G 7 JNVENTOR.

PAUL d, PILGER,

6 rroR/VEX United States Patent O GLASS GRINDING MACHINE Paul J. Pilger,North Miami, Fla.

Application March 19, 1952, Serial No. 277,349

1 Claim. (Cl. 51-74) This invention relates to glass grinding machinesand more particularly to a machine for accurately and speed ily grindingthe longitudinal edges of the glass panels or louvers commonly employedin glass jalousies.

The primary purpose of the invention resides in providing a machinehaving a continuously moving conveyor mechanism and a plurality ofgrinding wheels arranged in such manner that parallel groups of glasslouvers are continuously conducted along the machine to be engaged bythe several grinding wheels to the end that the glass louvers are groundand polished upon their two longitudinal edges prior to discharge fromthe machine.

A further object of the invention resides in positioning an air blastdevice that overlies the group of louvers adjacent the discharge end ofthe machine whereby air is jetted between the several parallel louversfor removing all the water that has accumulated on the louvers duringthe several grinding stages.

Novel features of the invention and details of construction will be bestunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein has beenillustrated a preferred example of the device and wherein likecharacters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance withthe invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view, frame parts in section and takenupon the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional perspective view taken adjacent thetake-off end of the machine, illustrating a group of louvers and adrying air nozzle.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, taken on line4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section, taken on line 5-5of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the travelling guide carriageshereinafter described and,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section through one of the grinding wheels.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the machine as illustrated,embodies a plurality of vertical standards 5 formed of angle irons,T-irons or other construction calculated to rigidly support the machine.Parallel and spaced apart angle irons 6 and 7 are horizontally disposedand constitute a trackway that extends for the full length of themachine. Rigidly fixed to the at upper flange of the angle iron 6, is aninner rail S and fixed to the at upper flange of the angle iron 7, is apreferably, though not necessarily half round rib 9, constituting arail. The rails 8 and 9 extend for substantially the full length of theangle irons 6 and 7 and constitute a guiding trackway for travellingcarriages, indicated as a whole by the numeral 10. These carriagescomprise a plurality of spaced apart parallel and vertically disposedrigid plates 11, which receive the end portions of glass louvers 12between them and guide and hold the louvers upright during their travelthrough the machine. The carriages corn- ICC prise each a transverse bar13 that rigidly supports the plates 11, with the plates extending bothforwardly and rearwardly of the bar and in longitudinal alignment. Theinnermost and outermost plates 11 are preferably formed integral withthe bar 13. A horizontal web 14 projects inwardly from each carriage andthis web is provided with a longitudinally extending rib 15 upon itsunder face and this rib 15 and a downturned ange 16, engage uponopposite sides of the rail 8 and serve to guide the carriages along thetrack. The outermost plates of the carriages carry elongated studs 17,the under faces 0f which are preferably grooved at 17a, to engage andride upon the `rail 9. The carriages in predetermined spaced relationare propelled along the track by a continuously travelling conveyorchain 18, that engages an upstanding lug 19 formed upon each web 14. Thelug 19 engages within a selected open link of the chain, see Figures 2,4 and 5. The upper ight of the chain traverses the at upper ange of theangle iron 6 for substantially the full length of the machine. The chainis driven by any desirable means, such as an electric motor 200, drivingthrough a conventional housed reduction gearing, indicated at 21. Thecarriages are quickly and easily engaged with the chain by merelylifting the chain, placing the carriages upon the trackway and thendropping the chain to cause one of the links to engage over the lug 19.The carriages obviously, will be properly spaced apart.

The glass louvers are manufactured in varying lengths for a specifiedwidth of window opening and louvers of corresponding length are usuallygrouped for traverse through the machine. By referring to Figure 4, itwill be seen that the louvers are of such length with respect to thespacing of two adjacent carriages, that the rear or trailing ends of thelouvers are supported and propelled by one carriage, while the forwardor leading end of the louvers are supported in the carriage next ahead,that is, the louvers are supported between the plates 11 in a verticaland parallel position throughout their travel through the machine. Thelouvers are free to shift vertically between the plates 11 and duringtheir travel, their lower edges ride over rollers 22, which arepreferably covered by rubber or like cushioning material. During theirtravel, the louvers ride beneath rubber covered pressure rollers 23,said rollers exerting an adjustable downward pressure under theinfluence of weights 24. The weights are calculated to exert the properpressure upon the upper edges of the louvers for maintaining the loweredges in grinding contact with grinding Wheels, to be described. Therollers 23 are supported upon transverse shafts 25, which shafts in turnare carried in the outer ends of vertically swinging arms 26. The arms26 are pivoted at 27 to the vertical standards 5. The arms 26 areadjustably supported in any desirable manner to limit their downwardswinging movement, the lowermost position being calculated to properlyposition the rollers 23 so as to permit the leading edges of the louversto ride thereunder by forcing the rollers upwardly. Each carriage 10 isprovided with transversely disposed cushiomng strips 28 and 29, with thestrips being grooved, as shown at 30, to have straddling seatingengagement over the plates, and the strips 29 and 28 provide cushioningabutments for the end portions of the `louvers to prevent chipping theglass as the louvers are propelled through the machine.

As clearly shown in Figure 4, as the louvers travel longitudinally ofthe machine, under the influence of the carriages being propelled by thechain 18, their lower edges ride over and in grinding contact withrapidly revolving surfaces of grinding wheels 31. These grinding wheelsmay be grooved, as indicated at 32, in Figure 7 and, the configurationof these grooves determines how much of a rounding off or other bevelshall be imparted to the longitudinal edges of the louvers. Theparticular configuration of the grinding wheels is not of the essence ofthe invention, since a mere iiat wheel may be employed in some cases. Asshown in Figure 1, there has been illustrated two spaced apart groups ofgrinding wheels, each group having preferably three grinding wheels withthe two groups constituting a first grinding stage and a second grindingstage. The grinding wheels are driven by motors 33, belts 34, pulleys 35and shafts 36. The grinding wheels rotate in a direction opposed to thetravel of the louvers. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4, the pressurerollers 23 are located directly over the axial center line of thegrinding wheels, which arrangement insures that the edges of the louverswill have full contacting engagement with the grinding surfaces and alsoinsures that the louvers will not be tilted vertically either whileentering or leaving the plane of the grinding surface. A pressure roller23 and associated arm and weight are provided for each grinding wheel.After the louvers pass the iirst grinding stage, they travel asutiicient distance before entering the second grinding stage to permitan attendant to invert the louvers in the carriages. Thus, in the iirstgrinding stage one longitudinal edge of each louver is ground and in thesecond grinding stage the other longitudinal edge of each louver isground. It is not necessary to grind the ends of the louvers becausesuch end portions are engaged in the conventional metallic end bracketscommonly employed in louvered closure devices. When the ground louversreach the takeoii end of the machine, they pass beneath an air blastpipe 37, provided with spaced apart air openings, which air blast blowsall water, left from the grinding operation and carries with it themajor portion of any foreign matter that has adhered to the glass duringthe grinding and leaves the glass substantially dry and free fromaccumulated matter for subsequent handling.

It will be apparent, that a very novel and highly etiicient machine hasbeen provided that will continuously and completely grind the edges ofthe glass louvers in a minimum of time. The machine results in a veryconsiderable saving in labor cost, since two and not more than threeattendants are capable of controlling the cornplete operation, one toload the louvers into the carriages at the loading end, one to invertthe louvers after passing the first grinding stage and one to take thelouvers off at the take-olf end. However, the speed of travel is suchthat the attendant at the take-off end can conveniently invert thelouvers. The several grinding wheels are independently driven and thecarriages after reaching the take-off end, are removed and transferredback to the loading end manually. The conveyor chain 18 has sufcientslack to permit the positioning of the carriages on the trackways.Various controls, forming no part of the invention will obviously beemployed. As shown in Figures 4 and 2, the spacing of the carriages isdetermined by the length of the louvers and they are so spaced, that thetrailing ends of the louvers have abutting contact with one cushionstrip 28, while the leading ends are usually spaced from the cushioningstrip 29.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theparticular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, but thatit includes within its purview any changes which fairly fall withineither the terms or the spirit of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

A supporting and propulsion carriage for use' with glass grindingmachines of the type that embody an elongated frame having tracks ateither side for its full length and with the frame being traversed by anendless conveyor chain and with the frame supporting grinding wheels,the said carriage comprising a transverse bar having integral verticallyarranged and parallel end plates and a plurality ot equidistantly spacedand parallel intermediate plates that extend both forwardly andrearwardly of the transverse bar and with the forwardly extending platesbeing shorter than the rearwardly extending plates whereby to formsockets for the driving and supporting reception of glass sheets to beground and with the sheets being supported in an edgewise manner foredgewise engagement with the grinding wheels, one end plate beingprovided with an integral horizontally disposed elongated web that isprovided with a downwardly opening track groove for traverse engagementwith one frame track, the top side of said web being provided with anupstanding lug adjacent its forward end that detachably engages a linkof the conveyor chain and with the web underlying the chain, theopposite end plate being provided with a track engaging stud thattraverses the other of said tracks, cushion strips arranged transverselyof the carriage and parallel with the bar and with portions thereofdisposed between the several plates whereby to protect the edges of theglass being supported and propelled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,680,920 Weber Aug. 14, 1928 1,687,985 v Mermer Oct. 16, 1928 1,906,329Mermer May 2, 1933 1,937,388 Kranich Nov. 28, 1933 2,160,085 RobertsonMay 30, 1939 2,531,640 Oberstar Nov. 28, 1950 2,573,936 Thede Nov. 6,1951

